Download adaptations teacher guide

Key Concepts in Science
ADAPTATIONS
TEACHER GUIDE
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
ADAPTATIONS: CONTENTS
Student handouts are at the back of the Teacher Guide.
Correlation to Standards ............................................................................................................................. 3-4
Sally Ride Science Teacher Guides................................................................................................................. 5
Adaptations: About the Book .......................................................................................................................... 6
Getting Started: In Your World .........................................................................................................................7
Preview Adaptations, read the introduction, and discuss the introduction’s key concepts.
Chapter 1: Adapted for Life .......................................................................................................................... 8-9
Model note-taking, read Chapter 1, and discuss the key concepts in the chapter.
Students: Chapter 1 handout
Chapter 2: Natural Selection .................................................................................................................... 10-11
Model making a sequence chart, read Chapter 2, and discuss the key concepts in the chapter.
Students: Chapter 2 handout
Read Chapter 3: Adaptations and Interactions ..................................................................................... 12-13
Model asking questions while reading, read Chapter 3, and discuss the key concepts in the chapter.
Students: Chapter 3 handout
Thinking Like a Scientist
> Complete Thinking Like a Scientist ................................................................................................. 14-15
Read Thinking Like a Scientist, demonstrate graphing data, and answer the questions.
Students: Thinking Like a Scientist handout
> Create a Science Poster .......................................................................................................................... 16
Create a science poster about saving cave-dwelling bat populations.
Students: Create a Science Poster handout
How Do We Know?
> Read How Do We Know? ........................................................................................................................ 17
Read How Do We Know?, about behavioral ecologist Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell, and answer the questions.
Students: How Do We Know? handout
> Invention Connection .............................................................................................................................. 18
Design a structure for observing animals at a watering hole.
Students: Invention Connection handout
Create a Sequence Chart ............................................................................................................................... 19
Show how elephants perceive seismic vibrations from other elephants.
Students: Good Vibrations handout
Study Guide: Hey, I Know That! ............................................................................................................... 20-21
Complete study guide questions.
Students: Hey, I Know That! handout
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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CORRELATION TO STANDARDS
Correlation to Science Standards
For information on alignment to state science standards and NGSS, visit
https://sallyridescience.com/learning-products/product-standards
Correlation to Common Core
Sally Ride Science’s Key Concepts and Cool Careers book series provide students with authentic literacy experiences
aligned to Common Core in the areas of Reading (informational text), Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language
as outlined in Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science,
and Technical Subjects. Adaptations: Life’s Survival Strategies and the accompanying activities align to the following
standards:
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6-12 (RST)
Grades 6-8
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
2. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior
knowledge or opinions.
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in
a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information
expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10.By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science,
and Technical Subjects 6-12 (WHST)
Grades 6-8
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content. a.-e.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/
experiments, or technical processes. b., d., f.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several
sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the
credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while
avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
9. Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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CORRELATION TO STANDARDS
Range of Writing
10.Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening Standards 6-12 (SL)
Grades 6-8
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grade 6, grade 7, and grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their
own clearly. a.-d.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to
accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
Grade 6
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent
descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear
pronunciation. Grade 7
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence,
sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear
pronunciation. Grade 8
Language Standards 6-12 (L)
Grades 6-8
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6, grade
7, and grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a.-d.
6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather
vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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SALLY RIDE SCIENCE TEACHER GUIDES
The Sally Ride Science Key Concepts in Science and Cool Careers book series are available as print books
and eBooks.* A Teacher Guide accompanies each of the 36 Key Concepts books and 12 Cool Careers books.
More information: sallyridescience.com/learning-products
*Book pages pictured in the Teacher Guides are from eBook editions. Some pages in the print books have different images or layouts.
Cool Careers
Cool Careers in Biotechnology
Cool Careers in Earth Sciences
Cool Careers in Engineering (Upper Elementary)
Cool Careers in Engineering (Middle School)
Cool Careers in Environmental Sciences (Upper Elementary)
Cool Careers in Environmental Sciences (Middle School)
Key Concepts in Science
Adaptations
Biodiversity
The Biosphere
Cells
Earth’s Air
Earth’s Climate
Earth’s Energy
Earth’s Natural Resources
Earth’s Water
Elements and Compounds
Energy Basics
Energy Transformations
Cool Careers in Green Chemistry
Cool Careers in Information Sciences
Cool Careers in Math
Cool Careers in Medical Sciences
Cool Careers in Physics
Cool Careers in Space Sciences
Flowering Plants
Food Webs
Forces
Genetics
Geologic Time
Gravity
Heat
Life Cycles
Light
Motion
Organic Molecules
Photosynthesis and Respiration
Physical Properties of Matter
Plant and Animal Systems
Plate Tectonics
The Rock Cycle
Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Sound
Space Exploration
Sun, Earth, and Moon
Units of Measurement
Vertebrates
The Water Cycle
Weathering and Erosion
Sally Ride Science provides professional development and classroom tools to build students’
passion for STEM fields and careers. Founded by Dr. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space,
the company brings science to life for upper-elementary and middle school students.
Visit us at SALLYRIDESCIENCE.COM for more information.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: Life’s Survival Strategies
About the Book
In Adaptations: Life’s Survival Strategies, students learn that all species have adaptations that help them survive
in the ecosystems in which they
live. Through examples, students learn that new adaptations develop through natural
selection—the driving force behind evolution. They also learn about specific adaptations species have for avoiding
predators or capturing prey, as well as the concept of symbiosis—the close relationship between species. At the end
of each two-page spread, a brief statement called The Bottom Line reinforces students’ understanding by summing
up the key ideas about adaptations covered in those pages.
In Your World captures students’ interest by focusing on one adaptation animals in Antarctica have to help them
survive the below-freezing temperatures there. The brief scenario sets the stage for the chapters to follow by getting
students to think about the importance of adaptations and the fact that each species is uniquely adapted to survive in
its environment.
Chapter 1 explains that species differ from one ecosystem to another because the conditions in each ecosystem are
different. Students learn that evolution accounts for the biodiversity of life on Earth. The chapter also explains that
species can become extinct if they cannot adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Chapter 2 presents the concept of natural selection and explains that it
is the mechanism through which evolution
occurs. Students learn that variations in traits that help an organism survive to reproduce are passed on to future
generations, and that this is how new adaptations and new species evolve.
Chapter 3 focuses on different types of adaptations that help organisms avoid predators and capture prey. The
concept of symbiosis is introduced, and several examples are given.
Thinking Like a Scientist explores how some scientists are applying their knowledge of adaptations in bats to help
determine why some bat populations are declining. Students get a chance to make a graph of real science data and
then draw conclusions based on it.
How Do We Know? focuses on Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell, a behavioral ecologist who studies how elephants
communicate through both acoustic and seismic signals. Then, in Invention Connection, students apply what they’ve
learned about working in the field to design a hidden observation area for researchers.
Hey, I Know That! allows students to assess their own learning through a variety of assessment tasks relating to the
key concepts covered
in Adaptations.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: GETTING STARTED
In Your World
Preview the book
Ask students to browse through Adaptations: Life’s Survival Strategies. Encourage them
to look at the cover, table of contents, chapter titles, special features, photographs, and
diagrams. Explain that paying attention to these features will give them clues about the
text.
Read In Your World (pages 4 and 5) and discuss key concepts
Tell students to read In Your World. Then start a class discussion by asking,
Do you think an Antarctic seal would be able to survive in a hot desert? Explain your
answer. [No, it would be unlikely that the seal could survive in a hot desert. It is adapted to
the cold Antarctic environment. Antarctic seals spend lots
of time in the water searching
for food (fish and other creatures). They have many adaptations for the cold: the color of
their fur helps them blend well with the ice; blubber insulates them from the cold; large
eyes provide keen vision underwater; a torpedo-shaped body allows graceful movement
in water. None of these adaptations would be suitable for a hot,
dry desert environment. A seal would not be able to find the
food it is adapted to eat.]
SCIENCE BACKGROUND
Ask several students to share their explanations with the class.
Deserts are hot and dry, with short periods of
precipitation during
the year. Organisms that live in
the desert have adaptations that help them stay cool
and conserve water. Desert plants may have leaves
that are reduced in size or covered with a waxy
coating to reduce water loss. Some plants have
deep root systems to absorb groundwater. Other
plants have shallow roots that spread over a wide
area to absorb water when it rains. Some plants,
such as the prickly pear cactus and the saguaro
cactus, can store water in their tissues. Some desert
animals may be active at night to avoid the heat of
the day. Others, such as camels, can drink large
amounts of water at one time and store it in their
tissues. The kangaroo rat, a small mammal, gets
water from seeds that it eats rather than drinking
water directly.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: CHAPTER 1
Adapted for Life
Read Chapter 1: Adapted for Life
Before reading: Model note-taking
Explain to students that taking notes will help them concentrate while reading. The goal of
taking notes is to summarize what is important and how ideas relate to each other. Notes
are organized in a logical way to help with learning and remembering. Point out that notes
can consist of outlines, concept maps, sketches, or diagrams—whatever makes the notes
meaningful. Give students the Chapter 1: Adapted for Life handout and point out that it has
a space to make an outline of the chapter.
Write the basic format of an outline on the board:
I.Topic
A. Main idea
B. Main idea
1.Detail
a. Example or evidence
b. Example or evidence
2.Detail
II. Next topic
Write the Roman numeral I on the board. Say,
I can use headings for the big topics. The topic of this first page could be the chapter subtitle, Adaptations
Everywhere. I’ll start with that. Now, what’s
the first main idea? Let’s read ahead to find out.
Use the craft stick method to call on a student to read the first paragraph, and then write the first main idea under A.
Continue building the outline by calling on students to read page 6. For numbers and lowercase letters, ask students
for details and examples or evidence of the preceding main idea. Here’s a sample outline.
I. Adaptations Everywhere
A. A species is a particular kind of organism.
B. Each of the 1.8 million species on Earth has unique adaptations.
1. Adaptations help living things survive in the ecosystems in which they live.
2. Living things in an aquarium have adaptations for life in water.
a. Gills help fish breathe underwater.
b. Tiny pockets of air in the leaves and stems of water plants keep them standing tall or floating near
the water’s surface.
II. Everything in Its Place
Tell students to copy the outline on their Chapter 1 handouts.
Read Chapter 1: Adapted for Life (pages 6-11)
Ask students to read Chapter 1: Adapted for Life. As they read, they should take notes and complete the outline on
their Chapter 1 handouts.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: CHAPTER 1
Adapted for Life
After reading: Discuss key concepts
Have pairs of students share their notes, discuss the main ideas of Chapter 1, and refine their notes if they wish. Then
ask,
What is an adaptation? [An adaptation is something an organism has or does that helps it survive in its ecosystem.]
How are adaptations and evolution related? [An adaptation is the
evolution of a feature that makes a group of organisms better suited to
live and reproduce in its environment.]
How might scientists use fossils to find evidence of evolution? [Fossils
provide physical evidence of organisms that lived in the past. Fossils
help us reconstruct patterns and trends in the history of life. When
scientists examine fossils, they may find that ancestors of modern
species had structures that are greatly reduced or do not exist in
modern species. The changes in such a structure are examples of the
adaptations, or changes, that occur in populations of organisms over
time. For example, fossils show that the ancestors of whales had legs
and lived on land.]
How are evolution and biodiversity related? [All of the different species
on Earth, and their adaptations, are the result of billions of years of
evolution.]
SCIENCE BACKGROUND
Fish have many adaptations that help them
survive in water. They have gills that they
use to absorb oxygen from the water. They
use fins to swim through the water. They
have senses adapted for life in the water,
including a lateral line running lengthwise
along the body that detects vibrations in the
water, nostrils that sense chemicals in the
water, and taste buds in the mouth and on
the skin and fins to sense other chemical
stimuli. Most fish have swim bladders,
which are bladder-like sacs they can fill
with gases to help control the vertical
position of a fish in the water column.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: CHAPTER 2
Natural Selection
Read Chapter 2: Natural Selection
Before reading: Model making a sequence chart
Explain to students that using a graphic organizer such as a sequence chart, which shows
a chain of events, can help them organize important steps in a process and summarize
information presented in the reading.
Draw five blank boxes on the board, one underneath the other, with arrows pointing down
between each box from one box to the next. Explain that each box represents a significant
step in a chain of events. The first box begins with the first step. The last box represents
the last step or the final outcome. The number of boxes in between will vary based on the
number of steps involved.
Have students reread the fourth paragraph on page 8 in Chapter 1, which details the
events that led to the extinction of dinosaurs. Explain to students that, as a class, you will
fill in the steps on the chart based on the information in the paragraph.
In the first box, write, Between 215 million and 65 million years
ago, dinosaurs ruled the Earth. In the second box, write, About
65 million years ago, a giant asteroid crashed into the Gulf of
Mexico. Allow students to make the connection between the
text and the steps you are filling in on the chart. Ask,
What would you suggest I put in the third box? [Dust and dirt
thrown into the air by the impact circled the globe.]
What step should be in the fourth box? [This triggered a global
winter. Ecosystems experienced a long, chilly twilight.]
What was the outcome of the asteroid event? In the last box,
write the final outcome. [Creatures that could not adapt to the
harsh conditions, such as dinosaurs, died out.]
Read Chapter 2: Natural Selection (pages 12–17)
Ask students to read Chapter 2: Natural Selection. Give them
the Chapter 2 handout and tell them to use it to take notes as
they read. Also point out that there is a space for them to make
a sequence chart of events in Chapter 2.
After reading: Discuss key concepts
SCIENCE BACKGROUND
Like begets like is a saying that means species make
more of their own kind—penguins produce other
penguins and pine trees produce other pine trees.
This is true because of the remarkable precision with
which DNA is copied and passed from cell to cell.
The DNA in the
cells of any individual is, except for
chance mistakes, or mutations, a replica of the DNA
that individual received from its father and mother.
However, if evolution is to take place, there must be
variation among individuals in a population. Such
variation makes it possible for populations to change
as conditions change—variations are the raw
materials on which evolution acts.
Variations in traits result from variations in the
genes, or the sequence of nucleotides along DNA, an
individual inherits. Mutations may involve deletion,
rearrangement, or substitution of one or more
nucleotides in a DNA molecule. Most mutations
occur spontaneously. And although the incidence of
mutations in a given gene is very low, the number of
new mutations per population is high.
Have students work in groups of four to study the diagram
on page 15. Ask them to use the information from Chapter
2 to provide an explanation of how five different species of
finches evolved from a single ancestral species that ate seeds from the ground. Tell students to assume that all of the
different food types described in the figure were available to the birds. Allow groups to share their explanations with
each other upon completion. Invite groups to share their explanations with the class.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: CHAPTER 2
Natural Selection
Check students’ understanding of artificial selection by discussing
this question:
What role did artificial selection play in the development of
Darwin’s theory of evolution? [Darwin spent years studying plants
and animals all over the world and realized that species change
over time. However, he did not know how they changed. After
studying artificial selection in species such as pigeons, rabbits, and
cabbages, Darwin realized that artificial selection was a speeded
up version of natural selection. Darwin proposed that species
evolve through natural selection.]
SCIENCE BACKGROUND
In a population of finches, an individual at some
point in the past could have had a variation in
a trait that led to a beak best shaped for eating
insects rather than eating seeds from the
ground. If this variation allowed the individual
to
get enough food to survive
and reproduce, the
trait would be passed on to its offspring, and
so on for many generations. Eventually the
trait becomes an adaptation
in enough of the
population that
a new species emerges. The
other finch species would have evolved in the
same way.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: CHAPTER 3
Adaptations and Interactions
Read Chapter 3: Adaptations and Interactions
Before reading: Model asking questions while reading
Begin by asking students to turn to page 18 in Adaptations. Read aloud the title and
subtitle of Chapter 3 (Adaptations and Interactions: From Survival to Symbiosis). Tell
students to look at the photograph of the flowers and bees at the top of the page.
Read aloud the caption: Many flowers have velcro-like petals that make it easy for bees to
grip as they sip nectar. Ask students:
Why do the flowers have an adaptation that makes it easy for the bees to get nectar?
Tell students that an effective reading comprehension strategy is to ask questions while they read.
Before asking students to read Chapter 3, go over these strategies of active reading, perhaps projecting them on the
board.
During reading . . .
> ask questions as you read.
> stop reading once in a while to check your
comprehension.
> reread confusing passages at a slower pace.
> mark confusing passages to review and clarify later.
> jot down notes about the big ideas and how they
connect to each other.
After reading . . .
> think about what you’ve read. What was the main idea?
What was interesting, strange, or completely new to you?
> review and clarify your notes so that they’ll help you recall
the big ideas and how
they connect.
Ask students:
Which of these strategies do you already use?
How can these strategies help you understand something
better as you read it?
You may wish to post the active reading strategies in your
room. Have students practice using each strategy, beginning
with Ask questions as you read, until they are using all of them
each time they read.
SCIENCE BACKGROUND
Symbiosis is a close association between two
or more organisms
of different species. Types of
symbiosis include mutualism, commensalism, and
parasitism. The examples discussed in the text
(coral reefs and algae, leafcutter ants and fungus,
and the human digestive system and bacteria) are
all examples of mutualism, in which both organisms
benefit from the relationship. Bees and flowers have
a mutualistic relationship as well. The bees consume
flower nectar for energy while inadvertently helping
plants reproduce by spreading pollen from one
flower to the next. In commensalism, one organism
benefits from the relationship while the other is
not harmed. A common example of commensalism
involves a fish called a remora
and sharks or whales.
The remora suctions itself onto a shark or whale
(without harming it) and eats the scraps of food the
larger organism does not consume. In a parasitic
relationship, one organism benefits while the other
is harmed. Examples of parasites include ticks and
tapeworms. Ticks attach to a host, such as a dog,
and feed off the host’s blood. Tapeworms live inside
a host’s body, often beginning as larva and growing
into adult tapeworms in the host’s digestive tract.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: CHAPTER 3
Adaptations and Interactions
Read Chapter 3: Adaptations and Interactions (pages 18–23)
Ask students to read Chapter 3: Adaptations and Interactions. As students read, they
should take notes and write down questions that occur to them on their Chapter 3
handouts.
After reading: Discuss key concepts
Read aloud to the class this Bottom Line statement on page 23:
A symbiosis is a partnership between different species that have adapted to live together.
Call on several students to explain this statement in their own words and to give examples
of symbiotic relationships. Say,
Living things have adaptations that help them interact with each other and their environment. Name a living thing and
an adaptation that helps it interact with others and its environment. [Sample answer: A rattlesnake can detect heat
coming from its prey using the heat-sensitive pits beneath its eyes. Desert plants have roots that spread far and wide
so they are ready to soak up water when it rains. Owls hunt at night when hawks and eagles sleep.]
Some adaptations help living things defend themselves against other living things, while others help them survive in
their environment. What’s an example of an adaptation that helps defend a living thing against other living things?
What’s an example of an adaptation that helps living things survive in their environment? [An Arctic hare’s white fur
helps it survive by providing the perfect camouflage in snowy surroundings. A predator that tries to bite an agave will
end up with a mouthful of spiny leaves. Some animals hibernate to survive through the winter, while others migrate to
warmer places.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST
Adaptation: Hibernation
Read Thinking Like a Scientist (pages 24–25) and answer the questions
Give students the Thinking Like a Scientist handout. Tell students to read Thinking Like a
Scientist and then to answer the questions on page 25 on their handouts. Have students
work in pairs to discuss the questions and come to agreement on the answers. Then
discuss the questions and answers together with the class.
To answer the questions, students should plot the data in the table on a graph. Get
students started with their graphs by drawing an X-axis and Y-axis on the board. Say,
A line graph is a helpful way to show how something changes over time—in this case,
cave temperature. Time should always be shown on the horizontal, or X-axis. How should I
mark off the dates on this graph? [Dates should be evenly spaced and spread out enough
to allow easy reading of the graph. Explain that the time between the 15th of the month
and the first of the following month is not always the same amount of time as between the
first and 15th of the month. But for this graph, spacing out all the given dates equally will
be good enough to show the relationship between time and cave temperature.]
Okay, I have the scale for time; now I need to make the scale along
the vertical, or Y-axis, for temperature. I want to make sure I plot all
temperatures shown in the table, in an organized way. So I’ll plot from
the lowest temperature to the highest temperature. What’s my lowest
temperature? [The lowest temperature is -5.55ºC.]
What’s my highest temperature? [The highest temperature is 9.44ºC.]
Let’s mark the scale so that it includes temperatures that are a
little
below the lowest temperature and a little above the highest temperature,
just to make sure those two extreme temperatures will be easily seen.
What do you think should be the range of whole numbers on our scale?
[Sample answer: The range should be -6.00 to 10.00.]
Mark off the scale this way.
Demonstrate the plotting of the first two points. The temperature for Sept.
15 can be plotted directly on the Y-axis. The temperature for Oct. 1 will
be in the “field” of the graph, away from the Y-axis, so demonstrate how
to imagine a horizontal line that runs from 1.67 on the Y-axis and intersects an imaginary vertical line rising from
the Oct. 1 point on the X-axis. The intersection is where you plot the point. Shows students how to use a ruler to
determine where the imaginary lines intersect.
Have students complete their own graphs. Then they can work in pairs to share their graphs, discuss the questions,
and come to agreement on the answers. Then discuss the questions and answers together with the class.
ANSWER KEY
1. What were the warmest and coldest temperatures recorded in the cave? [The warmest temperature recorded in
the cave was 9.44°C/49°F. The coldest temperature recorded was –5.55°C/22°F.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST
Adaptation: Hibernation
2. Make an inference. How many times did the bats in the cave wake up during the winter? [The bats woke up three
times because the temperature fell below freezing three times.]
3. Why might the bat population be shrinking? [Because the temperature is falling below freezing periodically, the
bats are waking up during the winter and using up too much energy. Some of the bats are using up so much
energy that they are not surviving until spring.]
4. Cave explorers chipped out a new entrance to the cave last summer. How might the new opening in the cave
and the temperature inside the cave be related? What could be done to protect the bats? [The new entrance is
allowing cold air into the cave when the wind blows from the north. Blocking up the new entrance might stabilize
the temperature and keep it from dropping below freezing during the winter.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: CREATE A SCIENCE POSTER
Save the Cave
Give students the Save the Cave handout. Tell them they will be making a science poster
about how to save bats threatened by changes to their cave. Refer students back to their
Thinking Like a Scientist handout and the data table on page 25. Allow students to do
some research. They can start with these websites for general information about human
impacts on caves and cave-dwelling bats:
http://www2.nature.nps.gov/views/KCs/CaveKarst/HTML/ET_Threats.htm
http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/research/projects/caves/threats.asp
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/res/Education_in_BLM/Learning_Landscapes/For_
Teachers/science_and_children/caves/index/caves_bats.html
http://www.nps.gov/grba/naturescience/bats.htm
Ask,
How often did scientists record temperature data? [Once every two weeks]
Say aloud to students:
Suppose, based on this data, scientists drew the conclusion that
three days of below 0°C temperatures is not
enough to account for a decrease in the bat population. Now suppose that a different group of scientists collected
temperature data every day (assume it was during the same time period and all other conditions were the same). The
scientists found that a cold snap occurred between Dec. 1 and Dec. 15. There were four days in a row during that
period in which the temperatures dropped below 0°C. How might this new data affect scientists’ conclusions? [The
daily data may show more days with temperatures below 0°C, which could account for the decrease in population.]
Present students with the following scenario.
A new entrance to a local cave was opened two years ago. Since then scientists have determined that winter
temperatures in the cave are dropping too low for the bats to survive. The population size is decreasing. Your class
has taken on a “Save the Cave” campaign to raise money for materials and recruit volunteers to seal off the new
entrance.
Have students work in small groups to brainstorm ideas on how to accomplish the goal and to create a science
poster that will bring awareness of the issue to their community.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: HOW DO WE KNOW?
Meet behavioral ecologist Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell
Read How Do We Know? (pages 26-29)
Give student the How Do We Know? handout and ask them to read How Do We Know?
After they read The Issue section, they should complete that section of the handout.
Have them complete the rest of the sections (The Expert, page 27; In the Field, page 28;
Technology, page 29) in the same way. Tell students to share their answers in pairs. Then
go over each question as a class. Call on two or three students to share their answers to
each question.
ANSWER KEY
1. How did the science writer use details to help you understand that elephants can
listen with their feet? [Sample answer: The science writer described in detail how the
elephants stand in order to feel the vibrations. The writer described what is special
about the
cells in an elephant’s trunk and feet. The writer also detailed the steps that
happen when the signals travel from the feet and trunk to the brain.]
2. How did the science writer capture your interest? [Sample
answer: The writer used descriptive language such as “lions
prowl” to set the scene of danger to the elephants. The writer
also made an analogy to cartoons.]
3. How did Caitlin become interested in studying wildlife? [Caitlin
always loved watching animals while growing up. Then, after
college, she spent the summer observing insects as part of a
field biology program.]
4. Why is it important that Caitlin and her team are quiet and
hidden while they make their observations? [If the researchers
disturb the elephants, the elephants may not act naturally. They
may avoid the watering hole or not stay as long as they normally
would.]
5. Caitlin has noticed that female elephants react more to alarm
signals than males do. How could female elephants have
evolved this adaptation? [Sample answer: If one female had a
variation in which she was more sensitive to warning calls, she
would have survived to reproduce and passed that trait to her
offspring. She also would be better able to protect her offspring
from danger. As more individuals in the population inherited the
trait over many generations, eventually a new adaptation would
have evolved.]
SCIENCE BACKGROUND
Warnings about potential predators may not be
the only thing elephants are communicating
about using seismic vibrations. They may also
be using them to help find a mate. Caitlin
O’Connell-Rodwell sent out both acoustic and
seismic signals from females that were ready
to mate. Male elephants responded by placing
their feet and trunks against the ground,
then turning the other way and repeating the
behavior. O’Connell-Rodwell hypothesizes that
the male elephants are trying to locate the
source of the sound by feeling the vibrations in
several different orientations. O’Connell-Rodwell
has also hypothesized that elephants can feel
the vibrations from a deep rumble of thunder
hundreds of kilometers away. She has observed
that elephants in a southern location will begin
to move north looking for water after strong
storms have occurred in the northern area.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: INVENTION CONNECTION
Choose Your View
Give students the Invention Connection handout and have them read Invention Connection
on page 29 in Adaptations. Each student should imagine she or he is a field biologist in
Africa. Have students design and sketch a picture of hiding place from which their team
could observe animals at a nearby water hole.
Invention Connection: Choose Your View
You’re a field biologist in Africa. You need to design a hiding place from which your team
can observe animals at a nearby water hole. Read the guidelines and then sketch your
idea. Your hiding place
> must protect humans from hungry animals.
> must provide a clear view of the water hole.
> can be elevated or buried.
> must hold five researchers and their equipment.
ANSWER KEY
Cape buffalo might stampede if they realize someone’s watching them wallow at a water hole. How does the hiding
place you designed protect you and your research team from a possible stampede? [Answers will vary. Student
responses should describe how they used the guidelines to design and sketch their hiding place.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: CREATE A SEQUENCE CHART
Good Vibrations
Give students the Good Vibrations handout. Have them create a sequence chart to describe
how signals move from an elephant’s feet and trunk to its brain. Tell them to reread page
26 and then draw a sequence chart and answer the questions. Tell students that their
sequence chart should have five steps. Remind students that a sequence chart has a box
around each step and an arrow pointing to the next step in the sequence.
ANSWER KEY
Students’ sequence charts will vary. Here is a sample sequence chart:
Step 1: The elephant stands still
so that
cells in its feet and trunk that are sensitive
to vibrations are touching the ground.
Step 2: Ground vibrations travel from the
toes into the foot bones.
Step 3: The vibrations travel from the foot
bones all the way up through the bones in
the elephant’s legs, hips, vertebrae, and
skull to the ears.
Step 4: The vibrations shake an enlarged
middle-ear bone.
Step 5: The middle-ear bones send a
signal to the brain.
1. How does this adaptation help elephants survive in their environment? [By sensing vibrations, the elephants have
another warning system (besides seeing and hearing predators or hearing other elephants’ alarm calls) to help
them know there is a threat of some kind.]
2. Why do you think the elephants at the watering hole grouped together after sensing the vibrations created by
Caitlin and her research team? [If the elephants thought there was a predator close by, being in a group might
help protect them, especially the younger elephants. It would be harder for a predator to attack a group than to
attack an individual.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: HEY, I KNOW THAT!
Study Guide
Ask students to use the Hey, I Know That! handout to answer the questions on page 30 of
Adaptations. Have pairs of students discuss their answers. Then call on student pairs to
share their answers and explain how they arrived at those answers.
ANSWER KEY
1. Make a list of five plants and animals pictured in this book. Identify at least one
adaptation each has and explain how it helps that plant or animal survive. (page 5)
[Since there are so many plants and animals in the book, answers will vary. Sample
answer: Plants and animals pictured in this book include a zebra, a camel, a parrotfish,
a sundew plant, and an agave plant. Each has adaptations that help it survive in its
environment. Zebras have stripes that allow the animals to blend together into a large
herd on the savanna. This adaptation helps them avoid being killed by lions and other
carnivores because it makes it more difficult for predators to single out individual
zebras. Camels, which live in arid desert environments, have nostrils that can open and
close. This adaptation helps the camels survive by protecting them from having sand
blown up their noses during sandstorms, and also by minimizing water loss through
the nose when temperatures are warm. Parrotfish are able to switch sex from female
to male in certain situations. This adaptation helps them survive because it allows a
female to immediately take the male’s place in a family of parrotfish if the male should die. This way, females
don’t have to spend time searching for a replacement male. Sundew plants ooze sticky drops of fluid to trap
insects for food. This adaptation helps them survive because they need insect meals to live and grow in nitrogenpoor soils, and using a sticky fluid to trap insects makes it hard for insects to escape. Agave plants are covered
with sharp, spiny leaves. This adaptation helps them survive because it deters predators from munching on the
plants.]
2. Why are the plants in a rainforest different from those in a grassland? (page 7) [Species are different from place
to place because ecosystems are different. That’s why you find certain kinds of living things in one area but not
another. Many rainforest plants have leaves with pointed “drip tips” for quickly shedding water. They are adapted
for life where it rains almost every day. In grasslands, plants don’t have this adaptation. That’s because rain
doesn’t fall every day in grassland ecosystems, so this adaptation wouldn’t do them any good.]
3. What is the outcome of evolution? (page 10) [Evolution is the slow change of living things over time. One outcome
of evolution is the production of new adaptations in populations of living things through the process of natural
selection. New adaptations can take millions of years to evolve. Over time evolution can also produce living things
that are so different from their ancestors that they become a new species. So new species are also an outcome of
evolution.]
4. What is the connection between variations in traits and natural selection? (pages 14 and 15) [Natural selection
acts on variations in traits. By chance, there is always some variation in traits. Any particular environment is more
suited to the traits of some organisms in a population than others. This increases their chances of survival
in that
environment. In turn, this allows the surviving organisms to have more offspring and to pass on the advantageous
traits to their offspring. Over many generations, the advantageous traits become more common in the population.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS: HEY, I KNOW THAT!
Study Guide
5. How are artificial selection and natural selection alike? How are they different? (pages 16 and 17) [Artificial
selection is similar to natural selection. The difference is that in artificial selection, people decide what traits living
things have. In natural selection, certain traits may become widespread in a population over
a long period of time
because they increase the chances that an organism will survive and reproduce. But in artificial selection, people
breed animals and plants with certain characteristics to produce offspring with those desirable traits.]
6. Give an example of a predator and its prey and an adaptation each has that helps it survive. (page 19) [Many birds
have keen eyesight that allows them to locate small insects. However, many insects have evolved adaptations to
avoid being hunted by birds. For example, some butterflies resemble dead leaves, while certain caterpillars are
dead ringers for bird droppings. Predators can’t eat what they can’t see.]
7.Use your imagination and write a story about two living things from another planet that depend on each other
to survive. Give details about how their symbiosis works. (page 22) [Sample story: Planet XYZ is teeming with
life. Like Earth, it has many species that are dependent on one another to survive. This is called symbiosis. XYZ
doesn’t have plants like Earth does, but it has organisms similar to plants called jeos that produce their own food
through photosynthesis and reproduce using a strategy similar to the way flowering plants on Earth use pollen.
Jeos depend on creatures called norfs to help them pollinate. The norfs feed on sweet juices that drip from special
cuplike sacs on the jeos. Some of the pollen, which is located on stalks near these sacs, rubs off on the norfs as
they feed. When a norf moves to another jeo, it transfers some of the pollen, helping the jeo reproduce. In this way,
the norfs benefit by receiving food from the jeos, and the jeos benefit by receiving help with their pollination. It’s a
win-win for both organisms.]
Caption: What clever adaptation does this frog have to protect itself
from predators? (page 20) [To protect itself from predators, this frog
has evolved a coloration that helps it blend in with green plants in its
aquatic environment. The frog’s eyes also resemble the small, circular
plants in the water, providing even more camouflage.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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Key Concepts in Science
ADAPTATIONS
STUDENT
HANDOUTS
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS • Chapter 1
Adapted for Life: Notes for Chapter 1
As you read, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down everything that
you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading.
ADAPTATIONS EVERYWHERE
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EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE
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THEN ALONG COMES CHANGE
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PROOF OF THE PAST
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EVOLUTION AT WORK
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ENDLESS ADAPTATIONS
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS • Chapter 1
PICTURE THIS
Review your notes for Chapter 1. Summarize your notes by developing an outline that includes the main ideas and
supporting details. Your outline should always begin with a main topic after a Roman numeral I. Details can be listed after
A and B. Further details may be included after 1 and lowercase a and b.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and outline to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts— in Chapter 1.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS • Chapter 2
Natural Selection: Notes for Chapter 2
As you read, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down everything that
you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading.
HOW NEW ADAPTATIONS ARISE
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VARIATIONS, INVARIABLY!
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NATURAL SELECTION IN ACTION
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ARTIFICIAL SELECTION
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EVOLUTION OF AN IDEA
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS • Chapter 2
PICTURE THIS
Review your notes for Chapter 2. Summarize your notes by creating a sequence chart explaining the steps that led to the
adaption of tortoises described on page 14.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and sequence chart to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts—in Chapter 2.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS • Chapter 3
Adaptations And Interactions: Notes for Chapter 3
As you read Chapter 3, take time to stop and think about any questions that come to mind. Write them down—starting
your questions with who, what, where, when, why, or how. Then make connections between what you’ve read, what you
already know, and what interests you.
Questions
As I read this chapter, I thought of these questions.
As I read, I found this information, which helped answer
my questions.
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page ____ __________________________________
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page ____ __________________________________
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page ____ __________________________________
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page ____ __________________________________
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Connections
As I read this chapter,
I remembered _______________________________________________________________________________
because of ______________________________________________________________________ in the chapter.
I thought ________________________________________________________________was interesting because
__________________________________________________________________________________________
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
ADAPTATIONS • Thinking Like a Scientist
Thinking Like a Scientist: Bat Hibernation
Read Thinking Like a Scientist on pages 24–25 of Adaptations. Use the information in the data table to complete the
graph. Then answer the questions on this sheet.
1. What were the warmest and coldest temperatures recorded in the cave?
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2. Make an inference. How many times did the bats in the cave wake up during the winter?
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3. Why might the bat population be shrinking?
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4. Cave explorers chipped out a new entrance to the cave last summer. How might the new opening in the cave and the
temperature inside the cave be related? What could be done to protect the bats?
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
ADAPTATIONS • Create a Science Poster
Create a Science Poster: Save the Cave
A new entrance to a local cave was opened two years ago. Since then scientists have determined that winter
temperatures in the cave are dropping too low for the bats to survive. The population size is decreasing. Your class has
taken on a “Save the Cave” campaign to raise money for materials and recruit volunteers to seal off the new entrance.
Use the brainstorming chart below to record your ideas on how to accomplish the campaign goals. Add more lines and
bubbles for additional ideas. Then create a science poster that will bring awareness of the “Save the Cave” campaign to
your community.
Raise money
Save the Cave Campaign
Recruit volunteers
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS • Create a Science Poster
Create your science poster. Use the space below for planning and a rough draft. Then get poster paper from your teacher
to complete your group’s poster.
Be sure to include:
> the name of the campaign.
> your idea(s) for solving the problem.
> how others can help and get involved with your campaign.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS • How Do We Know?
How Do We Know? Vi-Vi-Vi Vibrations
Review the questions below for each section of How Do We Know? Then read each section
in the book and answer the questions.
THE ISSUE
As you read, analyze the writing by thinking about these questions:
1. How did the science writer use details to help you understand that elephants can listen with their feet?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. How did the science writer capture your interest?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
THE EXPERT
3. How did Caitlin become interested in studying wildlife?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
IN THE FIELD
4. Why is it important that Caitlin and her team are quiet and hidden while they make their observations?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
TECHNOLOGY
5. Caitlin has noticed that female elephants react more to alarm signals than males do. How could female elephants
have evolved this adaptation?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
ADAPTATIONS • Invention Connection
Invention Connection: Choose Your View
You’re a field biologist in Africa. You need to design a hiding place from which your
team can observe animals at a nearby water hole. Read the guidelines and then
sketch your idea. Your hiding place
>
>
>
>
must protect humans from hungry animals.
must provide a clear view of the water hole.
can be elevated or buried.
must hold five researchers and their equipment.
Cape buffalo might stampede if they realize someone’s watching them wallow at a water hole. How does the hiding place
you designed protect you and your research team from a possible stampede?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
ADAPTATIONS • Create a Sequence Chart
Create a Sequence Chart: Good Vibrations
Use the information on page 26 of Adaptations to create a sequence chart showing how
signals move from an elephant’s feet and trunk to its brain. Draw a box for each step
and use arrows to show the order in which the steps happen. Include five steps in your
sequence chart. Then answer the questions below.
1. How does this adaptation help elephants survive in their environment?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why do you think the elephants at the watering hole grouped together after sensing the vibrations created by Caitlin
and her research team?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
ADAPTATIONS • Hey, I Know That!
Hey, I Know That! Study Guide
Use this sheet to answer the Hey, I Know That! questions on page 30 of Adaptations.
1. Make a list of five plants and animals pictured in this book. Identify at least one adaptation each has and explain how
it helps that plant or animal survive. (page 5)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why are the plants in a rainforest different from those in a grassland? (page 7)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. What is the outcome of evolution? (page 10)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the connection between variations in traits and natural selection? (pages 14 and 15)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5. How are artificial selection and natural selection alike? How are they different? (pages 16 and 17)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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ADAPTATIONS • Hey, I Know That!
6. Give an example of a predator and its prey and an adaptation each has that helps it survive. (page 19)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
7. Use your imagination and write a story about two living things from another planet that depend on each other to
survive. Give details about how their symbiosis works. (page 22)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________
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Caption: What clever adaptation does this frog have to protect itself
from predators? (page 20)
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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